We'll Talk
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: A little one shot based on the scene where Jane shows Maura how to handle a gun. Rizzles.


**For my pal Michele Mulkey who asked for something sexy based on this scene. I hope she's not disappointed! I always seem to go sappy Rizzles when I write based on Season One material. :-)**

**Characters aren't mine. They belong to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro, Turner Broadcasting, Warner Brothers, and other assorted important people. I gain nothing from writing these stories but the fun of doing it. Please don't sue me.**

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"Jane," Maura sat on the detective's sofa, gun firmly held in her hands, eyes forward, posture straight, "do I look like a badass?"

"Yeah," the lanky brunette smiled warmly at her friend, "you look like a badass. Alright, I'm going to try to get some sleep. Just don't shoot my neighbors. I'd hate to have to take you in."

As Jane left the living room to find the comfort of her bed, Maura slowly lowered the gun in her hands and carefully set it on the coffee table. She frowned deeply as she thought over the current situation. Hoyt was again after her best friend, and the only thing she could do was stand by Jane's side and protect her as well as she could.

There was an issue with this plan. She really didn't know how to protect Jane. What's more, until just a few moments ago, she had never so much as held a gun, and now she was preparing to possibly shoot someone with it despite never having fired a gun in her life.

She shook her head as she resettled on the sofa, legs curled under her and arms wrapped around herself. _I can handle this,_ she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Jane has given me instructions on how to use her gun if I must, and I do this._

She uncurled herself and leaned forward to slowly pick the weapon up again. _She told me to check the safety._ As she thought through the instructions, Maura repeated Jane's actions. Her mind's eye watched Jane move as she, herself, imitated the actions of the detective. Cautiously, she checked the safety. _It's on. Good. If I had suspicion, then I would need to turn the safety off. She said to hold the gun firmly but not tightly in my hand._ She held her right arm out in front of her, gun griped appropriately in her right hand. _She showed me this. I should wrap my left hand around and under my right to give support and stability._ She did so, remembering the feel of Jane's closeness and the light touch of Jane's hands against her own. _Push with my right hand and pull with my left to create stability for aim._ Maura closed her eyes, remember the feel of Jane's body pressed tightly against her own as her friend's hands rested on her arms to show her with arm should push and which arm should pull. She sighed, remembering the absent feel as Jane pulled away.

_She pulled away too soon. _

Maura's eyes flew open and she let out a little gasp of surprise. _From where did __**that **__come? She gave me more than enough physical contact for instruction. 'She pulled away too soon.' Too soon for what?_

Again, Maura slowly and carefully placed Jane's weapon on the coffee table. She leaned back against the sofa's cushions and thought over the events of a few moments before, letting her mind pull from the short instruction time what it would, allowing it to pull what her subconscious highlighted as the most important pieces of that exercise.

_What do I remember most? _The honey blonde closed her eyes and allowed her mind to replay it all without forcing it to focus on the important details of how to use the handgun. _The feel of Jane next to me… the warmth coming from her as she leaned against me… how light her touch was as she moved my arms and adjusted my hands… her breath as it blew across my neck while she looked at me… the feel of her hand on my knee as she stood to leave the room… the warm sound of her voice and care in her eyes as she told me I looked like a badass…_

"You're a crap bodyguard," Jane's raspy voice startled Maura out of her deep thought.

She jumped, standing completely off the sofa, and turning toward the detective. "Jane! What are you doing still awake?"

Pointing to the kitchen, Jane grunted in reply. "Thirsty. You're supposed to be guarding the door," she said with a smirk on her lips as she pulled a bottle of water from her fridge. "How can you guard the door if you're asleep, too?"

"I _was not _asleep." At her friends incredulous look, Maura explained, "I was mentally going over your lesson on how to properly handle your gun."

"That so? _My _gun, huh?" One eyebrow rising in question, Jane put the half full bottle back in the fridge. "Must not have been the same lesson I was at because I don't remember getting cold all of a sudden." A sparkle of humor in her eyes, she nodded her head down to the doctor's chest.

"Oh!" Maura looked down and quickly crossed her arms to cover herself. "You know, Jane, a female's body can react to various stimuli that have nothing to do with what you're implying, and, though being cold is one reason for such a reaction…"

"Thinking dirty thoughts is another," the detective finished the sentence with a chuckle. "Anyone I know?"

Maura shook her head in confusion. "Know for what?"

"The guy! The guy you were thinking about before I interrupted… whatever it was you were thinking about. My guess would _his_ gun," Jane winked. "Who is he?"

Maura gave a frustrated sigh. "Although I appreciate that you're trying to deflect some of the tension you're feeling regarding your current situation by trying to cause me some level of embarrassment by way of distraction, I really wish you wouldn't. There's really no guy. I was truly going over the lesson you just gave me, and I think it's time you tried to get some sleep."

"Yeah, fine," the dark haired brunette gave a heavy sigh. "I'm having a hard time going to sleep. Bring my gun and sit with me in my room for a little bit? Sometimes I sleep a little better with someone I trust sitting close by."

"Of course," Maura complied, quickly picking the weapon up and following into the bedroom. Once Jane was settled in her bed, Maura joined her, sitting up against the headboard on the other side. "Would you like for me to stay until you're asleep?"

"No," Jane's voice was starting to become groggy, but it still held an edge that was uniquely Rizzoli. "I want you tell me about that guy."

"Jane," the warning in Maura's voice was plain, but, as she rolled her eyes, she gave in ever so slightly. "Fine. The person I was thinking about is taller than I am, athletic of build, very intelligent though they often pretend to be far less educated than they actually are, loyal almost to a fault, fiercely determined with a strong code of personal ethics," the doctor was lost in her own thoughts, "caring of others, and protective of friends and family. They have a strong sense of justice and fairness that is to be admired, and they're beautiful, inwardly _and _outwardly. They're a fine work of art that nature and nurture can only produce once and never would be able to recreate." She sighed. "They're someone to be admired and adored."

"Sounds like a pretty incredible guy," Jane rolled over to look at her friend. "When are you going to ask him out on a date?"

"What?" Maura's voice was soft, her mind still lost in her thoughts regarding the woman beside her.

"A date… a _date, _Maura. When are you two going to go out on a date?" Frustrated, Jane sat up in bed. "I mean, it sounds like you two know each other really well, right?"

"Apparently not well enough," the doctor sighed as she shook herself out of her thoughts.

Jane narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I've said too much. Now," Maura stood from the bed, "you really should try to get some rest, Jane. I'll just be in the other room, and…"

She was stopped short as Jane's hand flew out to catch her own to prevent her escape. "I know someone, too," Jane's voice was soft and raspy, her hand pulling to insist the doctor sit down again. Maura complied, curious to see where this would go, as Jane continued to talk. "They're super smart, loyal to their friends and those they choose to make a part of their family, talented in so many things that I've lost count, determined, true to their own moral standards, caring, and," she said as she released Maura's hand, "they look like a badass when they hold my gun." She winked. "I can't be very eloquent right now. I'm running on about four hours' sleep, and, frankly, I'm about to pass out, but, when this is over, I want to talk about this."

Frowning, Maura took a moment to consider what Jane was saying. "Are you sure that's wise? It would mean a substantial change in our relationship."

"Yeah, I'm sure and I know," the detective leaned back against her pillows. "We probably should have had this talk a while ago."

"What changed your mind?" Maura again slowly stood from the bed, picking the gun up as she moved around the to Jane's side.

"This situation." Jane resettled, allowing Maura to tuck her in. "Life's short."

"I'm all too aware of the mortality of humanity," the doctor replied. "When this is over," she whispered, "we'll talk."

Jane gave a hum of contentment. "Date."

Confused, Maura responded. "I don't know when. It's difficult to gauge how long it will take to…"

The detective's chuckle cut her off. "No, not _when_. Date. As in, I'm taking you out on a date." A yawn kept her from talking more. "Less talk, more sleep."

"Okay, Jane, I'll be here when you wake up," with a final brush of her fingers over Jane's forehead to push the dark curls threatening to fall down across the angular features of her friend's face, Maura gave a very small smile before turning and leaving the room.

_Things change so quickly around Jane,_ she returned to her spot on the sofa, gun in her lap. _I can handle that._ _I have so many questions. What about Agent Dean? If we did move forward, how would her family handle the change? I realize not all Catholics… _A knock on the door made her rise, taking the gun with her. Standing to the side of the door, she asked loud enough to be heard, "Who is it?"

"It's Frost. Open the door, doc."

BREAK BREAK BREAK

If you get the chance, you can see Michele at the RizzlesCon in July. She's doing an FX Workshop, and it's going to be super fantastically awesomely cool.


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